Art for seals

When the eighty year old Mrs Gerda Oedekerk from Goor heard about the enormous number of seals in need last winter, she became inspired. At the end of December she painted two wonderful portraits of seals and one of Lenie, which she donated to the SRRC. Despite her old age, she came to bring the works of art personally; we were very touched by that.
 
The paintings were admired by enthusiastic visitors who wanted to buy them to support our charity. Recently, Mrs Oedekerk has taken up her place behind her painter’s easel again and has painted five other seal portraits, which are now on sale in our shop. Thank you very much for your wonderful support, Mrs Oedekerk!

Source:SRRC Lenie 't Hart

Naturalis: honour for three seal first aiders

SRRC Lenie ’t Hart proudly announces that its seal first aiders, Jaap van der Hiele, Kees Kooimans and Arnold Gronert will be honoured with Naturalis’ Dubois medallion on the 19^th of April for their efforts to report stranded cetaceans.

Jaap van der Hiele and Kees Kooimans have been active volunteers on the seal first aid team in their area for many years: Jaap in Zeeland and Kees along the beach in South and North Holland. For this, they use many facilities provided by the SRRC, such as communication and seal first aid equipment and a car for seal transport. Arnold Gronert was trained in Pieterburen years ago as a seal first aider and now works with Ecomare.

Lenie ’t Hart: “Great that our men, who set out day or night, wind or shine, every time a report comes in of a stranded sea mammal, are now given the recognition they so deserve. Good that they are now placed in the limelight by others as well!”

 Jaap, Kees en Arnold: congratulations! And of course our thanks also go out to the dozens of other seal first aid volunteers who are out on the beach at all hours to save seals and other sea mammals

Source: SRRC Lenie 't Hart

New water purification system officially opened.

Celebration for the SRRC

 Saturday, April 14^th. At a festive gathering organised by the Dierenlot (animal fate)Foundation on the beach of Vlieland, Lenie 't Hart, along with some of the SRRC’s Seal first Aid volunteers, was given the keys and documents belonging to a beautiful seal transport ambulance and a heavy-duty tractor. A previously donated seal-emergency ambulance was also officially presented on this occasion. Lenie: "It is truly amazing what the Dierenlot Foundation has managed to accomplish in a matter of years. Dozens of volunteer organizations were able to call on the Foundation for an animal-emergency ambulance or a (smaller) animal- transport ambulance. We are incredibly pleased with the support given to us by Dierenlot. Without this support, the Seal First Aid network would not be able to function so adequately, and it is just as important to arrive on time in the case of needy seals! "

 André van Gemmert, who drives tens of thousands of miles every year for the SRRC to collect seals all along the coast from Seal First Aid teams, is very happy with his new vehicle, as is Seal first Aid volunteer Kees Kooiman, who has already a picked up many sick seals from the beach at Zandvoort and Noordwijk with the 4x4 seal-emergency ambulance.

Thank you, Foundation Dierenlot!

Source: SRRC Lenie 't Hart

Bron: Zeehondencrèche Lenie 't Hart

News from SRRC’s knowledge centre

In the last couple of weeks (from end of March through to April tenth), 20 seals have washed ashore near the Scharendijke in the South West of Grevelingen. It concerns grey seals. Volunteers from Zeeland’s SRRC-Seal First Aid network have collected the dead seals. Unfortunately, many of them were already in an extreme state of decomposition, so the cause of death could not be determined. It is unusual for so many dead seals to wash ashore in so little time. The SRRC’s knowledge centre is studying the animals’ cause of death. For this, the SRRC’s scientists are working together with the fisheries. SRRC scientist’s research has shown that drowning is a common cause of death in washed up seals..

Source: SRRC Lenie 't Hart

Great gift from RWE

They are blue; you can see them miles off: two great, insulated sheds where sick seals can be accommodated in comfort during the peak season. It is a great gift from RWE/Essent and the SRRC is very happy.

A couple of weeks ago, work started on levelling out the surface and constructing a concrete layer, of which the part under the freezer container was sponsored by Köster AG. After that, the two sheds were erected within days. This brings the total number of similar permanent rehabilitation rooms to four.

ZIJ with Lenie

 Last Saturday, the spring issue of ZIJ (She) Magazine was presented to Lenie at the Golf & Lifestyle fair in the Groningen Martinihal. Lenie was given the magazine by William of Reijendam, because quite a few pages were dedicated to her and her work for the seals in an article by Esther Hagen.

A Beautiful Day with Bas

While the people from make-over programme “Het Snoer Om” were busy trying to get the complete make-over of the volunteer accommodation finished on time, Bas had to keep curious Lenie out of the way for a while.
And how better lure her away, than to take her to release some seals.
Incidentally, it was clear that Bas did not see this as punishment either.
This evening, the volunteers and Lenie will be taking the Campus into use.
What it looks like will remain a surprise.
The programme will be broadcast on Saturday, April 14th and 21st at 4.30 PM.

TV programme ‘Het Snoer Om’ helps the volunteers

The SRRC was surprised yesterday by a complete makeover of its volunteer accommodation. In the SBS6 programme ‘Het Snoer Om’ (Changing Tack), presenter Bas Muijs visits people or organizations that have a special story to tell and can use a bit of help. He comes with a team of DIY professionals, who give one room in the building a complete makeover and the occupants are given new audio visual equipment.

Indian ambassador visits SRRC

Saturday, March 17^th. The Ambassador if India, mrs Bhaswati Mukherjee, visited the SRRC today on a trip through the North-Netherlands. She was very interested in our work with seals but showed particular interest in the SRRC’s many foreign projects. She told Lenie ‘t Hart that in India many projects are being initiated to protect the unique wildlife of the enormous country. And Lenie was able to say that the SRRC once had an intern from Delhi, who has now, due to the lack of Indian seals, started up a rescue station for street cats and dogs in her birth city.

Source: SRRC Lenie 't Hart